Letters

EU offers a chance to cut defence spending

The foreign and defence proposals by the five major European countries (German push for stronger EU, 19 September) should be welcomed by the Labour party. Labour's policy in these key areas is far from clear and usually limited to muted criticism of the partial and ill-planned defence spending cuts of the coalition. Far too often this appears to echo those senior military men who have demonstrably failed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Labour leadership is silent when US action results in the killing of civilians, often by the use of drones.

The European proposals offer a new opportunity to reduce expenditure – the UK is the highest military spender in Europe and fourth in the world – and to move to a more rational system, based on objective threat assessment, allowing only for the necessary minimum amount of weaponry to be purchased. For far too long the UK military manufacturers have ripped off the taxpayer for equipment that was late, failed to function and was overpriced. The usual slogans about loss of sovereignty will be heard, but the stark reality is that individual nations cannot afford to satisfy the demands of their military establishments or their jingoistic flag-wavers. There could be two beneficial outcomes: substantial cuts in defence spending and a move away from US dominance of our foreign policy.

There are many of us in the Labour party who would like to see Ed Miliband speak out and fill in the many gaps in the party's policy on how Britain relates to the rest of the world.Tim WebbLondon

• You write (Report, 25 September): "Coming from American lawyers ... the criticisms are likely to be more influential in US domestic debates over the legality of drone warfare." On the contrary, this report will have no influence whatsoever on policy or politics in my "homeland." There are no debates on drone warfare. The bipartisan political establishment in the US is united in its support of the practice and plans to expand the use of drones. This murderous record will be one of Nobel peace laureate Obama's lasting legacies.Chris FloydOxford

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